The Mission of Sarah Bellums eco designs is to transform harmful waste into functional and fun beauty. By revaluing trash, I hope to inspire people to start using reusable products and take an active role in protecting our shared and limited resource, WATER. *Bikinis handmade from up-cycled plastic bags*

When I first became passionate about plastic pollution in the ocean I knew that I had to spread the word. I thought if I made sexy bikinis out of up-cycled plastic bags to spread awareness it would get the attention of the average person in a fun way. I thought when people become aware of this issue they couldn’t help but see how it relates to them and want to do something. I fashioned my blog to highlight the zero waste lifestyle and movement thinking that awareness and then individual lifestyle change would stop mass consumerism and change the world.

Then I started listening to The Story of Stuff founder and GreenPeace CEO Annie Leonard. Her talks enlightened me and made me realize that most people know about the environmental and social effects from our consumer frenzied culture.

And they care! But this is where most people stop because they are overwhelmed and have no idea where to go or what to do. After listening to Leonard I learned that while lifestyle changes are great, transformational change only happens when citizens come together as a community and work with forward thinking businesses and local governments to accomplish a shared goal.

*click on the picture below to watch “The Story of Solutions”*

Structures have been set up in our society that make it easier and cheaper for businesses and governments to do the ecologically and socially harmful thing and harder to do the ecologically and socially friendly thing. Our most important job as citizens is to INSPIRE other citizens to engage in our community and exercise their citizen muscle. Moving from a place of concern to a place of ACTION.

Now I am going to focus my blog on activists that are changing the structure of our throw away system and having FUN while doing it.

Like these citizens in Colorado creating a Zero Waste grocery store that allows for bulk buying to be easy, cheap and fun. *Click on picture below to support Zero Market*

We are citizens of one planet and we need to focus our attention on the structural barriers that get in the way of people taking action, live our values and have FUN!